There Is No Hard Problem of Consciousness

Journal of Consciousness Studies, 3(4), 290-302, reprinted in Jonathan Shear (ed.), Explaining Consciousness: The Hard Problem, 69-82

1996

Co-authors: Tom Scutt

Themes: Philosophy of Mind

Category: Book chapter, Journal article, Peer reviewed

The paper attempts to establish the importance of addressing what David Chalmers calls the ‘easy problems’ of consciousness, at the expense of the ‘hard problem’. One pragmatic argument and two philosophical arguments are presented to defend this approach to consciousness, and three major theories of consciousness are criticised in this light. Finally, it is shown that concentration on the easy problems does not lead to eliminativism with respect to consciousness.

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